Debt Free Journey and Abundant Living
How to live an abundant life on the debt free journey is something I am passionate about. I want to show you how I am striving to live with an abundance mind set, on a daily basis.
What does abundance mean?
Abundance is this over-flowing, more-than-enough, too much goodness word that says, “WOW I am gushing with so much Jesus that the bursting is too great for me to bear!!!!!!!
WOW!!!!! Can you even imagine?!?!?! To have all of that happening in you and through you, even in the most difficult seasons is pretty much unheard of. It’s like that word JOY! Joy doesn’t just come and go, but it’s this grounded word that is ever so present when we let the lavish love of Jesus consume and take over our world. True joy can only be found in Jesus, and that’s the same for abundance.
In the Bible, Jesus says in John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Satan is here on a daily basis throwing his fiery darts at us (Psalm 91:5) trying to destroy us in every aspect of our lives. Whether that’s through financial hardship, depression or anxiety, health problems, watching somebody we love suffer, or even something as simple as a rough day in parenting, but Jesus is saying that He came so that we would have LIFE and have it ABUNDANTLY…
Jesus brightens up our lives and helps us over-flow with more than we could ever ask for or want that we’re busting at the seams with goodness!
How Can We Live Abundantly During Our Debt Free Journey
Living an abundant life on a debt free journey sounds like an oxymoron. How can you live with abundance when you’re pinching pennies, living on rice and beans, and scraping every ounce of energy to pay off this mountain of disgusting debt????
Easy peasy! Living with abundance doesn’t come from going on vacations, investing in mutual funds, paying off debt (though that is wonderful and exciting), or anything that deals with money! Look around you, notice what you do have, and truly cherish this God given purpose you’re living!
Your Purpose Is Now
Just because you’re on a debt free journey doesn’t mean you can’t still live out your purpose. I think what you’ll find through this journey, is your purpose. Instead of constantly thinking that money gives you abundance, or money gives you purpose, or money allows you to overflow with generosity… I want you to take money out of the picture when it comes to abundance.
Abundance comes from God and is given to YOU! When we fill our cups DAILY with God’s truth, pray for “thy daily bread,” ask God to put people in our paths to encourage and love on and help, and watch God work. Watch Him use you in ways you could never imagine.
Living with Abundance Without Money
Almost 2 years ago I really wanted a friend. Like a really GOOD FRIEND that I could share whatever was on my heart with, with zero judgment. A friend that God wanted me to cultivate and nurture. 5 houses down from me was my neighbor that I had never met, who I noticed had just had a baby. Finally, after a few weeks of God just really working on my heart to introduce myself, I got the GUTS to take her some cupcakes. It was hard to do, but guess what!?!?!?! We hit it off so fast and have never looked back! We are such sweet friends, and I love her to pieces!!!! Guess what? That friendship didn’t cost me any money. And it’s worth absolutely more than money can buy.
On the deft free journey, so many people get discouraged because they think living on a tight budget won’t be fun. They think of all the things they CAN’T do because their money is going towards debt. There is such despair and famine in their lives because going to Target right now to buy whatever they want sounds way more fun than paying on that stupid debt!!!! However, going to Target isn’t going to fuel this abundant life, even when you are no longer in debt.
Abundant Living and a $20 Birthday Party
My son was turning 2. My husband had just lost his job and we didn’t have income coming in. We were in despair! We didn’t get the opportunity to throw him a real 1st birthday party because of foster care circumstances that I don’t have the time to get into. So when he turned 2, I wanted to throw him a REAL birthday party where people came over and we celebrated!!!
How could I make this happen when we couldn’t even afford food?!? I sold a few household items and made $20. I decided I could throw my son a wonderful birthday party for $20 and make it the best it could ever be! Thankfully he was just 2, so anything would be great, but I also wanted to impress our guests (mainly our extended family). So, I decided on a Cookie Monster theme. I went to our local 99 Cent Store and they had all their Sesame Street party ware on clearance for $.50 each! YES!
I made a ton of homemade decorations and was able to use borrowed decorations from a lady from my MOPS group, asked grandparents to bring platters of cookies, had milk from WIC (which my son received from foster care) for all the guests to drink and we did it!!!!
Now I will say, last minute my parents chipped in and bought Mexican party platters and I made a big batch of rice and beans and we feasted! It was the BEST $20 birthday party I’ve ever thrown for 30 people, and the ONLY $20 party we’ve ever thrown! But friends, we have the sweetest memories from that experience. My son LOVED his birthday and I will always look back on that summer as being our favorite! My husband would probably say it wasn’t his favorite summer due to stress, but it was mine!
Through My Abundant Mindset, My Faith Grew
My faith was BIG! I had no doubt God would provide. We drove to the food bank every week for 10 weeks to get food. We went to the library every Friday where they gave out leftover food bank boxes, played endless card games, and put the same 1000 piece puzzles together over and over again. The kids built forts, stayed up late watching movies and prayed fervently for my husband to get a job, and I was blessed with spending everyday that summer with my husband!
God provided and my man was blessed with the most amazing job! God provided again and he was able to get his credential PAID FOR without any money coming out of our own pockets! The storm was great, but God moved mountains for us!!! God does that for ALL OF US when we seek His face and His counsel. Living in abundance doesn’t come from money, it comes from nurtured relationships! This debt free journey has taught me that.
How To Live Daily With An Abundance Mindset
GRATITUDE. That is my word for 2020. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” Isn’t that true? This house that I think we are out-growing is enough. The food that God has provided us is enough. The counter tops in my kitchen that I really don’t care for is enough. The home decor I currently have is enough. The amount of clothes in my closet is enough. The amount of toys my kids have is enough. My husband’s current paycheck is enough during our debt free journey. This mountain of laundry that keeps piling up IS DEFINITELY ENOUGH! LOL 😉
The fact that we have extra money to pay towards debt is a blessing from God, no matter have big or small that “leftover” amount is. Praise God I have it during our debt free journey, and after.
Abundant Living Comes When We Invest In Others
If I’m living daily with an abundance mindset, then I’m living intentionally. If God’s goodness is overflowing from my cup, then I need to let the overflow land in somebody else’s cup. That can be done in a number of ways during your debt free journey. Hospitality is a great place to start. Just because you are pinching pennies, doesn’t mean you have to become an introvert and not have a social life.
God calls Christians to love Him, and to love others.
Mark 12:30-31 says
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
The way that we love others is through investing in relationships. If you have a busy schedule, look at your calendar and see where you can spend time with others; a great place to start is in your own neighborhood or church. Another thing I like to do is to go to the park with my kids and start talking to another mom I’ve never met.
Being Hospitable Blesses Others, But It Blesses You More
- Invite people to come over for game night.
- Enjoy a coffee and coffee cake date with a girlfriend.
- Host a movie night.
- Go on a walk with your neighbor.
- Play outside in the front yard with your kids.
- Host a Bible study.
- Host a potluck with your Life Group.
- Go swimming at somebodies house.
- Turn the sprinkles on and make homemade popsicles.
- Join a ladies Bible study at church.
- Join a mom’s group and get involved in their activities.
- Have a popcorn party.
The possibilities are endless and cheap! Community is important. Community drives us to live out our purpose, and a great way to do that is through encouragement. Encouraging somebody else on their journey is purposeful and so rewarding.
Focus On What You Do Have, Not Your Dwindling Bank Account
Let your light shine my friends. Living abundantly through your paying-off-debt-season, takes the focus away from your tight budget, and puts the emphasis on your purpose. Your purpose is HUGE and it doesn’t stop when you’re paying off debt, it’s everyday of your life!
Yes, be gazelle intense, and eat lots of rice and beans. “Live like no one else now, so you can live and give like no one else” (Dave Ramsey)! BUT, your abundance, in TODAY, is already overflowing! Allow it to gush over onto others. Stop fretting about your finances and this terrible, awful season of living frugally. Remind yourself that you have a huge purpose. It’s time to prove to yourself that it can be one of the BEST adventures yet!
If you liked this article, you might also like:
- Clean Kitchen Countertops
- Rice and Beans Recipe Collection
- Cheap Healthy Foods To Integrate Into Your Meal Plan